Car-coupling.



No. 732,791. PATENTED JULY 7, 1903. .J. W. SMITH.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED HA3. '7, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED JULY 7, .1903,

J. w. SMITIL, GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED KAR 7, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N0 MODEL.

61101 neg 0 UNITED STATES Patented July 7, 1 cos.

PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 732,791, dated July '7, 1903.

Application filed March 7, 1903. I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. SMITH, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description'of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a coupler unusually well adapted to resist the peculiar strains of practical service, that per-' mits unlocking when the position of the coupled cars prevents opening, that when so unlocked is set by the separating movement of the cars for automatic coupling with an approaching ear, that mayat will be set to couple automatically or not to so couple, that is adapted for either freight or passenger cars, and that is positive in action, secure, and reliable.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the lower side of a coupler. Fig.

2 is a top plan view of the same coupler. Fig. 3 is a section on the line3 3, Fig. 2. a partial section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is 'a side elevation of a certain lockingblock. Fig. 6 is a section corresponding to Fig. 3, showing aslight modification. Fig. 7is'a section on the line 7 '7, Fig. 1. r

The coupler-head A is of the Master Car-' Builders type and has the portion opposite the guard-arm A cut away above and below to receive the upper and lower branches ofa bifurcated knuckle B, held in place by a pivotal pin B. The knuckle branches are similar, each having an arm B normally extending rearward along the outer side of the head and anarm B extending rearward approximately to a shoulder A The head has also above and below shoulders A opposing corresponding shoulders 13 of the knuckle, which with the shoulders A and the internal knuckle-face opposed tothe end of the head between the knuckle branches practically distribute over parts best adapted to resist it the force of impact upon the knuckle, thus preventing undue strain upon the pin B. Through the reduced portion A of the head over which the knuckle-arms swing are vertical openings A upon each side of the central Fig. 4 is Serial No. 146.641. (No model.)

eral ro'ection O which norma'll rests u on P J Y P the head and limits the down ward movement of the block. This block is cut away centrally at C upon its front side, so that when it is raised it no longer obstructs the swinging of the upperarm B nor of the lower arm, since its lower end rises above the latter, and thus the knuckle is left free to open. The block may be thus raised by means ofa lever D, pivoted just below it in lugs or cars D upon the lower arm or branch B of the knuckle, and swung upon its pivot by means of a chain D passing horizontally to the opposite 7 side of the head and thence upward through a passage D in the guard-arm to any suitable actuating device carried by the car. This chain is provided with a cap D which normally covers the upper end of the passage and allows the chain to descend only so far as to permit the lever D to assume its normal position. A pull upon the chain swings the lever and forces its rounded end to slide beneath the block, raising it far enough to release the knuckle, when the swinging of the lever on its pivot ceases and the knuckle is pulled open, the lever moving bodily with it, sliding from beneath the block and passing beneath the body of the head. As the lever leaves the block the latter descends slightly and rests upon the arm B which .has now passed into its path and which thus holds the block in raised position so long as the coupler remains open. When the knuckle closes, the lever moves bodily against the block and is thereby'swung upon its own pivot, and as the knuckle-arm B passes from beneath the block the latter descends to normal position, the lever at the same time swinging both bodily and upon its pivot to the position it occupied at first.

It is to be noted that a pull upon the chain first unlocks the coupler in the manner just described and then opens it if the pull be continued and if the engagingooupler he not in position to prevent. In the latter case the pull can only unlock the coupler, and if this be done and the chain be then released the chain falls so far as the cap permits; but the lever is not thereby moved, and the coupler remains unlocked until the separation of the cars pulls it open and leaves it in position for automatic coupling with the next approaching car. It follows that the trainman having once pulled the chain where uncoupling is desired may attend to duties elsewhere, leaving the coupler unlocked. In like manner he may not only unlock the coupler, but pull it open and leave it set for automatic coupling in all cases where this is not prevented by the presence of another car.

The upward movement of the block is limited by a bolt E, extending through the side of the head, Fig. at, into the recess in the side of the block. To allow the escape of any foreign bodies that may chance to enter this recess, the lower wall of the latter is downwardly inclined toward an aperture B, leading downwardly outward through the side of the head. \Vhen the coupler is used forpasseuger-cars, the chain is not carried upward, but is pulled horizontally, as suggested in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Fig. (5 shows the locking-block as lifted by a chain and leverat its upper end, butheld in raised position much as before. Herea bent lever is pivoted to the upper end of the block, with its outer arm Gr extending down along the outer side of the coupler and with an operating-chain H, secured to its inner arm G. Below is a counterweighted lever I, mounted pivotally upon the lower arm B and acting like the correspondinglever of the form first described, except that it is swung into position for holding the block raised by gravity instead of by a pull upon a chain. A pull upon the chain II tirst raises the block to the limit fixed by the bolt E, thus bringing the outer end of the bent lever alongside the upper arm B and then swings the lever upon its pivot, forcibly opening the coupler. Meantime the lever I swings to nearly vertical position, so that it may hold the block raised until there is a closing movement of the knuckle. Such movement swings the le ver 1 in the manner already explained in de scribing the first form.

What I claim isl. The combination with a coupler-head and a knuckle pivoted thereon, of a block arranged to lock the closed knuckle when in one position and to release it when raised from such position, a lever pivoted below the block with its arm transverse to the blocks path, and means for compelling the arm to swing upon its pivot and follow the rising block until it assumes an approximately vertical, block-supporting position.

2. The combination with a coupler-head and a knuckle pivoted thereon, of a block arranged to lock the knuckle when in one position and to release it when raised from such position, a lever pivoted to the knuckle beneath the block in position to raise the block in swinging upon its pivot, and means for thus swinging it.

3. The combination with a coupler-head and a bifurcated knuckle embracing and pivoted to one side of the head, of a lockingblock sliding in the head into and out of the path of the knuckles lower branch, a normally inclined lever pivoted to said branch below said block and arranged to swing to vertical position, as a limit, thereby holding the block above said path, and means for swinging said lever to such position.

4. The combination with a coupler-head and a bifurcated knuckle embracing and piv' oted to one side of the head, of a lockingblock arranged to slide in the head into and out of the path of the knuckles lower branch, a normally non-vertical lever pivoted to said branch to swing toward vertical position beneath the block thereby holding the latter above said path, means for pulling one arm of the lever forcibly toward the medial plane of the coupler to so rotate the lever first and then to swing it bodily with the knuckle upon which it is pivoted.

5. The combination with a coupler-head having a passage through its guard-arm, of a bifurcated knuckle embracing and pivoted upon the opposite side of the head, a block sliding in the head into and out of the path of the knuckles lower branch, a normally non-verticallever centrally pivoted to said branch below said block to swing toward vertical position and thereby raise the block, and a chain or the like secured to one arm of the lever and passing thence through said passage, substantially as set forth.

(5. The combination with a coupler-head having a vertical passage through its guardarm, of a bifurcated knuckle embracing and pivoted to the opposite side of the head, a block sliding in the head into and out of the path of the knuckles lower arm or branch, a normally non-vertical lever centrally pivoted to said branch below said block to swing toward vertical position and thus raise the block, a chain attached to one arm of the lever and passing thence upward through said passage, and a stop secured to the chain above the guard-arm to limit its downward move ment.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. 'W. SMITH.

Witnesses:

GEO. N. FOUNTAIN, Geo. W. CAGE. 

